Reeves uses federal funds to give bonuses to state law enforcement
December 21, 2021 | Mississippi
State law enforcement officers — about 1,750 in various state agencies — are slated to receive a $1,000 bonus before the end of the year for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Tate Reeves announced.
The cost of the bonus, about $2.3 million, will be paid through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that was passed on a bipartisan basis during the Trump administration to provide funds to the states to help battle the pandemic.
At the time, Reeves argued that he should have discretion to spend the entire $1.25 billion the state received from the CARES Act. But the Legislature blocked Reeves’ effort and spent the bulk of the funds. The Legislature provided the governor discretion in how to spend $50 million of the funds…. (Excerpts from Mississippi Today)